Venetian blind parts



Dec. 1; 1953 B. WALKER VENETIAN BLIND PARTS Original Filed Dec.

INVENTOR Brool m2- M WM Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT ()FFICEVENETIAN BLIND PARTS Brooks Walker, Piedmont, Calif.

November 27, 1951.

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-178) This invention pertains to improvements 'inVenetian blinds, particularly to blinds in which the lifting cords ortapes or other means of lifting the blind do not go through holes in theslats to secure them against lateral displacement and where the liftingcords or tapes, etc., operate between the slats and the side members ofthe ladder tape as described in my application Serial Number 794,851,filed December 31, 1947, and which has matured into Patent No.2,576,160, November 2'7, 1951, this application being a divisionalapplication thereof. A particular application of this invention is inconnection with Venetian blinds in which greater lateral stability ofthe slats relative to the ladder tape is desired. in order to keep theends of the slats in end alignment in the blind or to keep the slatsfrom turning over in case the different sides of the slats are painteddifferent colors or to keep the crown of the slats all in one directionin case of crowned metallic or composition slats.

This invention pertains primarily to spring clips made of wire or othersuitable material adapted to be normally supported by the cross membersof a Venetian blind ladder tape or a flexible slat spacing mechanism.These spring clips engage one or more apertures. in the slats or theyengage the slat adjacent to one or more edges of the slat as well asengagement adjacent to the aperture. Such engagement with the slatprovides lateral stability of the slat relative to the slat supportingcross member. A further object of the invention is to provide a springclip of a construction which can be readily secured to or detached fromengagement with the cross 2:

members which support the slats in the Venetian blind. Another featureof the invention is to provide a spring clip of very inexpensiveconstruction which may be formed of wire or other suitable material andis adapted for engagement on staggered ladder rungs or cross members andadapted to engage apertures in the slats which are midway between thewidth extremities of the side members of the ladder tapes so that onlysingle routing of the slats is necessary for the engagement. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide lateral stability of the slats bya spring clip carried on the ladder spacing elements, the engagementwith the slat being formed in a positive manner to be more secure thanthe snap on type of engagement. In this invention, in some forms, hookedends of spring clips engage the edges of the slats at the apertures,thus providing a very easily detachable and yet very secure holding ofthe slat relative to the ladder tape or cross members of the laddertape. An important feature of this invention is the providing of aspring clip which can be readily used to convert conventional Venetianblinds having ordinary route holes for the passage of the lift cordsthrough the slats to the removable type of slat construction wherein thelift cord can be changed and run over the edge of the tilt rail with orwithout a notch in a manner shown in my United States Patent No.2,200,349 and then down between the ladder rungs at the opposite sidesof the ladder tapes to be secured to the bottom rail. This method wouldleave no stability in a lateral direction to the slats unless the blindwere inside hung so that the slats could secure stability from thewindow frame or other end guided means known in the Venetian blind art.The spring clips shown in this invention are readily attached to thestaggered ladder rungs and engage the slat adjacent to the edges of theroute hole or could engage one outside edge ofthe slat and an ed at thereuteholeftoprovide lateral stability of the slat relativeto thecrossltape to hold the 1 ends of the slat in alignment. The spring clips.shown in this invention are very inexpensive, easily attached to theladder rung, grip the slat securely, and are. readily detachable fromthe slat without the aid of tools for the easy removal of the slat. Afurther object of this invention is to provide means whereby Venetianblind slats can be readily removed 'for cleaning, repairing, replacementor other uses merely by manually unclasping the spring clip and slidingthe slat out from the Venetian blind tapes, it only being necessary tosecure the slat adjacent to one tap-e though any number of such clipsfrom one to a number equalling the number of slats may be used at othertapes or slat spacing elements to keep them in alignment with the maintape used for stabilizing all of the slats. A further object of thisinvention is to provide an exceedingly inexpensive and easilymanufactured method of securing the slats, having an aperture in a given-position relatively central to a ladder tape, to

cross members on which the slats rest, regardless of Whether they aredual or staggered, are

' of thread, woven or metal construction.

Other advantages will be pointed out in the accompanying description andclaims.

the slat, partly .cut away, showing one form of the invention in whichdouble ladder rungs are used and a spring clip similar to a paper clipis employed for engaging the aperture of a slat.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of another form of the invention asobserved in the plane of line 2-4! on Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the structure of Fig. 2 asobserved from the bottom of one of the slats.

In all. figures, like numerals of reference refer to corresponding partsin the drawings.

In Figure 1, I have shown a slat 30, a ladder tape with side members 9and double ladder rungs 9a and 9b. These ladder rungs may be of thespring type, woven type, plastic type, metal or any other suitable crossmembers known to the Venetian blind industry or suchas may be developedin the future for supporting slats in spaced relationship. A spring clip35. is formed somewhat in the same general shape as a conventional paperclip except that the, ends 35a and 3579 are suitably formed in hookssomewhat similar to ends Ma and 50b of Figure 2. These end portions 35aandv 35b grip the edges of a small aperture Bile formed in slat 30. Thepaper clip type of form for the spring clip is very simple to make andgives a construction which is readily engageable with double ladderrungs and yet provides sufficient spring. motion for the ends so thatgood engagement with the aperture in the slat by the hooked ends of theclip is readily obtained. The self-locking feature may be provided bythe ends of the clip in line with each other so that engagement ordisengagement is secured by having one portion of the wire pass overanother during engagement or disengagement.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have shown a ladder tape 9 with cross rungs 9a anda spring clip 99 hooked over the cross rungs 9a of the ladder tape withthe hooked ends film and 69b engaging the .opposite edges, of the slatadjacent. to the aperture 5!. Straight central section. 690 of thespring clip 59, in this form of theinvention, passes across the centerportion of the aperture 5! and forms the engagement with the cross,members or the ladder rung 9a. cheap to manufacture, gives a verypositive hold of the slat for positive lateral stabilityrelative to theladder tape and can bemost easily attached to the ladder rungs whichbeing of a flexible nature can be compressed together or one end hookedand one or both sides deflected for hooked engagement to the other side.The side members 5 of the ladder spacing element or tape hold the crossrungs in. such a position as to form suitable support for the springclip whether the slat is in position or has been removed for cleaning.Though these views all show the spring clip as engaging the slat atopposite edges of an aperture in the slat, it is obvious that a. veryslight modifica-tion of the spring clip would make it. suitable forengaging the slat at one edge and at an aperture. The engagementof theslat at the edge could be at the unnotched edge. or in a notch at theedge suitable for. nesting the lifting cord.

The spring clips as shown in all of the views are very easy tomanufacture, may be made of wire or other suitable material, are easilyengaged with the cross rung of the ladder spacing element or laddertapes which support said spring clips when the slats have been removedfor clean- 10 ing or other purposes. The spring clips as shown arehighly advantageous for converting conventional Venetian blinds to theremovable slat construction in a manner previously stated by run- Thisclip is exceedingly 1 ning the lift cords 29 down the outer edges of theslats as shown in my issued Patent No. 2,200,349 providing lateralstability by engagement of the slat through the conventional route holeby the spring clips as shown in the figures. Throughout these figuresthe apertures in the slats have been shown substantially midway betweenthe widths of the side members of the ladder tapes or ladder spacingelements. It however is obvious that one or more apertures may be usedand the two ends of the clips may each engage a separate aperture or anaperture and an edge of a slat, or that the apertures may be locatedmore nearly in line with the cross members on which the slats rest andthe spring clips engage separate apertures depending on whether they areattached to a right or a left cross rung. The spring clip form showndoes not require crossing or doubling of the wirethickness under theslut and therefore reduces the slat pile when the blind is raised.

I do not wish in any way to limit myself to the exact details or mode ofoperation set forth in this specification and drawings, for it will beobvious that wide departure may be made in the way of details withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention which is set forthin the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a Venetian blind, a slat provided with a slot intermediate theopposite side edges thereof, a ladder tape including opposed sidemembers and a pair of spaced parallel cross rungs, and a spring wireclip for removably securing said slat to said cross rungs includinginwardly facing loop portions for extension about said rungs from theouter edges thereof, and said clip further including hooked endsintermediate said loop portions removably engageable with opposite edgesof said slot.

2. The structure according to claim, 1., whe' n said clip comprisesopposite parallel side por intermediate said loop portions, one of saidside portions comprising a wire length projectin inwardly from each ofsaid loop portions in ofiset parallel relatioinone of said hooked endsbeing provided by the terminal of one of said wire lengths, and the,other wire length provided with a loop portion facing the respectiverung receiving loop portion, and the other or said hooked ends beingprovided by the terminal of said la t named loop portion.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said clip comprises astraight portion intercom nesting said loop. portions at correspondingsides thereof, and other straight portions projecting inwardly toward aplane normal to the inter mediate portion of said first straight portionfrom the opposite sides of said loop portions and being in divergingrelation to said first straight portion toward said plane, and saidhooked ends being provided by the terminals of said last named straightportions.

BROOKS WALKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,031,981 Runge Feb. 25, 1936 2,123,817 Warren July 12, 19382,311,716 Walker Feb. 23, 1943 2,480,993 Adler Sept. 6, 1949

